The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved in August 2026 the four-laning of the 82.57-kilometer Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonbarsa section of National Highway-22 (NH-22) in Bihar at a total capital cost of ₹3,590.73 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). This infrastructure project serves as a critical link between Muzaffarpur—where it intersects with NH-27, part of the East-West Corridor—and Sonbarsa on the India-Nepal border, enhancing connectivity to the Bhithamore Land Port for cross-border passenger and cargo movement.
The upgraded highway is designed for 100 kmph speed with an average operating speed of 80 kmph and features seven major bridges including a 340-meter bridge over the perennial Bagmati River, three railway overbridges, and two flyovers. The project will ease congestion through densely populated areas including Muzaffarpur, Muksudpur, Runni Saidpur, Thumma, Dumra, Bhutahi, and Sonbarsa, while improving traffic flow with no at-grade median openings.
Under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the corridor will connect five economic nodes comprising four industrial estates and a Mega Food Park, supporting manufacturing, food processing, and agro-based industries. It will enhance multimodal logistics through improved access to Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi railway stations and better integration with NH-31 and NH-122, facilitating connections to Barauni's industrial hub and riverine logistics centers along the Ganga for inland waterway trade opportunities.
The project aims to strengthen farm-to-market links by reducing travel time, lowering transportation costs, and improving fuel efficiency for agricultural produce movement. It will also improve access to religious and cultural destinations including Baba Garibnath Temple, Mata Janki Temple, Punaura Dham, and the Buddhist Circuit, while supporting regional mobility in aspirational districts Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi.